Why do we love tea towels? They are versatile. They are beautiful. And they have ties with the famous Starry Night artist— that’s right, the legendary Vincent Van Gough!
If you have ever touched the texture of a tea towel, you’d know it's a beautiful feeling of liveliness. A tea towel is unlike any other towel; different from a bath towel, beach towel, dish, and other towels. So, what exactly is a tea towel? What distinguishes a tea towel? Could it be the cloth, the diameter, or the composition of the tea towel? Let's talk about what gives tea towels that fascinating feel.
Tea towels are beyond a mere dishcloth or even an environmentally friendly alternative— it’s a piece of expressionism that comes in various designs and illustrations.
A tea towel is delicate and thin with excellent breathability, unlike heavy and bulky conventional kitchen towels. It’s made of linen or cotton, or a blend of both. A woven or embroidered pattern on it further accents its artistry. These delicate beauties are typically the same size as a traditional hand towel. They have been utilized in tea rituals, wedding ceremonies, and as souvenirs since the 18th century. It is now widely used in households and restaurants all over the world. But aside from utilizing it as a napkin in today's modern world, tea towels can also be used in innovative ways. We will shortly get to that, but first— let’s find out how tea towels differ from dish towels/ clothes.
The Distinction Between Tea Towels And Dish Towels
It wouldn’t be surprising to see someone use dish towels as tea towels, or likewise. They’ve both been mistaken for each other at some level in the towel world. While the difference between the two towels is no poles apart, there are a few crystal distinctions.
A tea towel is a ‘tea towel’ because of its characteristics—
In terms of size: Tea towels are larger than kitchen towels but smaller than bath towels.
In terms of texture: Tea towels have a thin, flattened, and densely woven feel. Occasionally, it is designed and embellished. Dish towels come in a variety of textures and patterns.
In terms of material: Tea towels are often crafted with linen or 100% cotton. Kitchen and dish towels, on the other hand, are usually made of terry cloth.
In terms of historical context: During the 18th century, upper-class English ladies used tea towels as fancy towels. It was composed of linen, a fiber obtained from the flax of linseed plants, and it accessorized the finest tables in the kingdom. Further, Van Gough, a Post-Impressionist Dutch painter and possibly the most well-known painter of all time, created still lives on tea towels— one of which sold for £2.1 million at auction. Doesn’t this make tea towels all the more poetic?
It’s simple— tea towels have beautiful designs and are decorative, whereas dish towels are more industrial in form. The latter is meant for drying hands or cleaning kitchen islands and countertops.
That being said, if you’re game, check out below the different ways you can use tea towels to add a splash of style, decor, and poetry to your surroundings.
Lining Your Tea Trays— Classic!
As the name implies, tea towels were first used for lining the tea trays (to absorb any spillage that may occur when serving tea). They say, when in doubt, go with a classic… so don't think twice and just go for it— as the bubbling tea you serve your guests gratifies their palate, let your dreamy tea towels impress their eyes.
Serving Food The Posh Way
Tea towels are a fantastic serving accessory for anything from a hot bowl of oatmeal to a cup of hot coffee or desserts. These soft towels absorb spills and drips while keeping the crockery in place. And what makes it even better is— placing a trendy tea towel on your dining table can make the food look more appealing and enhance the dining area decor.
Wrapping Your Hot Rolls
Using a tea towel to wrap your rolls, muffins, and bread keeps them warm and fresh for longer. You can also wrap your baked goods as a gift. A pretty tea towel instantly improves the presentation. Also, quite obvious but— hello green world and sustainable packaging!
Speaking Of Green—
Related articles:Use tea towels as the mat for your greens— lay your vegetables down on tea towels after cleaning/washing them. This will accelerate the drying process, keeping them fresh and flavorful.
Beauty Upgrade For Your Bathrooms
C’mon, it’s almost 2022— time to ditch the plain, old, boring bathroom towels and switch to sophisticated tea towels. Just remember to pick a towel aesthetic that complements your bathroom's decor!
Stylish Kitchen Cabinet Shelves
Lining your kitchen cabinet shelves with tea towels absorbs the inconvenient water drips from freshly washed dishware and glasses. It also enhances the visual appeal of your cabinets by giving them a scenic appearance.
As A Token Of Love
Climate change is real, and it is rapidly wearing our planet out. By choosing to give sustainable gifts to your loved ones, you’re preventing unsustainable gifts from reaching the landfill. Branded, high-quality tea towels made of 100% organic cotton are the perfect eco-friendly gifts. If you’re a company looking to give your employees holiday gifts for all their hard work this year, you can also order customized bulk tea towels to make a meaningful impact— a gift that both mother nature and receivers will appreciate and value for a lifetime.
Go Zero-Plastic— How Fantastic!
Use the delicacy of your tea towels to wrap a present. It will make the gift look more presentable, and you’ll also be saying no to plastic wrappings.
Everyone uses kitchen towels, but you probably never gave them much thought. They can be used for so many things in your kitchen and even in other areas of your home. But did you know that different kitchen towel types have different uses?
Kitchen towels are intended to be used all over the kitchen for all types of cooking and cleaning, making them one of the most versatile and useful kitchen items you’ll own.
Kitchen towels are capable of absorbing liquids, but they are also used to dry hands, dry dishes and glasses, wipe up spills on your counters and appliances, clean off cutting boards and sometimes even to grab hot pots, pans and dishes. Some flat weave kitchen towels are even used as napkins!
The majority of kitchen towels are made of cotton which makes them great for absorbing a lot of liquid, but also durable enough to withstand a lot of wear and tear and washings. Most kitchen towels are also hemmed on the edges to give them reinforcement to make them long-lasting. In general, they are also tougher than the average bath towel, but not as thick.
It’s common for people to stock up on kitchen towels for their home since one should always make sure to have a clean one handy. Some people like to swap out their towel colors for different seasons and holidays as well which keeps your kitchen fun, bright and ever-changing. Your basic everyday towels can be used a couple of times, but then should be thrown in the wash. And the towels that you use to dry your hands on should never be the same towels that you use to dry your dishes with.
Check out our exclusive RITZ® Textile Glossary to familiarize yourself with some of the terminology that will be used in this article.
Since John Ritzenthaler Company has been making kitchen towels since 1892, we sure know a thing or two about them! We wanted to take the time to break down the five most commonly used types of kitchen towels here:
Terry kitchen towels are still the most commonly used kitchen towels and are a mainstay in the kitchen. They make perfect hand towels and are great for drying dishes, large pots and pans, and cleaning up spills. They can speed up the drying process and prevent water spots from forming on glassware and dishes. Terry kitchen towels are extremely absorbent because of their thick terry loops. Terry towels are long-lasting, durable and easily hold up with daily use. They make great bridal shower, housewarming, back-to-college and graduation gifts too! While it was hard to narrow it down to just one terry towel, our favorite is the T-fal Textiles (partner of RITZ®) Parquet Kitchen Towel which is made of 100% cotton and is available in a brightly colored set of two.
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